Only the Strong Survive. | OrangeWhoopass

Phillies 3, Astros 4
W: Brandon Backe L: Adam Eaton S: Jose Valverde

Whoever says baseball is boring is WRONG.

Adam Eaton versus Brandon Backe, two pitchers with ERAs at 5.59 and 4.58. You expected a high scoring game and some might think 3-4 is. But not this Friday night. Backe and Eaton both started out strong. Only giving up 1 run each, via homeruns by Pat Burrell (in the 2nd inning) and Hunter Pence (in the 5th). Backe had Phillies on the base in the early innings, but was able to battle his way out of trouble. Eaton only had 2 baserunners through 4 (Ty Wiggington and Miguel Tejada) but the Astros patience paid off dividends in the 5th. Pence’s HR and 2 more hits that inning started the assualt.

Backe set down 15 Phillies in a row. By now the Astros are in the 8th inning. Cecil Cooper decided to go to his bullpen, out came Doug Brocail. Things were looking good. One out runners on the corners, then Jimmy Rollins stole second, so the outlook changed. The Flying Hawaiian, Shane Victorino struck out. Chase Utley was the next to attempt to ruin Backe’s win, he gets intentionally walked. Bases loaded, into the batters box stepped 255 pounds of Ryan Howard, who grounded to Lance Berkman to end the inning. Crisis averted.

Onto the bottom of the 8th. The Astros need to put more distance between them and the Phillies. Berkman hit his second triple of the season, followed by Carlos Lee’s sacrifice fly to score him. Phillies only scored 1 run through 8 innings and there were only 3 outs to go. No one else to call except Papa Grande, Jose Valverde.

Valverde had not given up a run since the last time he faced the Phillies in April. A single and an error had Burrell standing on second, Geoff Jenkins grounded out but moved Burrell to third. Pedro Feliz steps into the box for his chance. He hit Valverde’s pitch straight back at him and it ends up in left field. Feliz is on first, Burrell scored, and the mighty Valverde is on the ground.

Minute Maid Park and fans everywhere watching the game are quiet (or cussing). Silent prayers being said for Papa Grande, especially after Chris Young’s injury from earlier in the week. Horrible thoughts are racing through the fans minds. But wait, is that movement? It is, Papa Grande is moving, then standing. The bushy-mustached trainer is making Papa Grande move his face. There is no sign of blood. Papa Grande is telling them this is his game to finish. He doesn’t come out of the game, oh no, not Papa Grande. He sends everyone back to where they belong. He ended the game by giving up two hits and a run before getting the last out.

Papa Grande and the Astros defeated the Phillies, 3 to 4.

Player Notes:
Bourn, 1 for 4, with an RBI
Berkman, 1 for 3, run
Lee, 1 rbi
Pence, 2 for 4, 2 RBIs
Wiggington, 2 for 3
Towles 1 for 3, run
Backe 7.1 innings with 1 run.

Outstanding win by the Astros.

Bench Tidbits

Brocail on walking Utley: “I hate loading the bases; I wanted to talk about it,I didn’t have the sense that he [Chase Utley] was going to completely take, [so] once we fell behind, it put me in a better spot of not having to go back into the count.”

Pence on Valverde: “I got a sick feeling in my stomach; I was just hoping he was all right,” outfielder Hunter Pence said. “I didn’t think there was any chance he would be staying in the game. I was just hoping he wasn’t seriously injured. Then he pops up and says, ‘I’m all right,’ and he’s back on the mound pitching.”

Brocail on Valverde: “[I saw] Willie Blair in the late ’90s get hit in Cleveland, honestly I thought Willie was dead,” pitcher Doug Brocail said. “I heard [San Diego’s] Chris [Young] got hit the other day in San Diego and my dad said, ‘You need to take a look at it.’ I refused to look at it. Tonight … if I get hit in the head [like that] with all the [blood] thinners I’m on, I’m probably dead.”

Anyone know why Brocail is on blood thinners?

Pedro Feliz on Valverde: “I wasn’t happy about it,” Feliz said. “I didn’t try to do it. In the beginning, when he was on the ground, I thought it doesn’t look good from where I could see. I was happy to see him get up and that he was fine.”

August 17th is the date for Biggio’s number to be retired.

The “Little Pumas” are stupid.

Jose Valverde is the man.